Retribution (Dark-Hunter #19)

Retribution (Dark-Hunter #19) Page 19

Jess would laugh if it weren't so damn ironic. One of his powers was the ability to know when he was about to be ambushed. And the den they were in had a damper on psychic powers. Not that he and Ren needed that right now, since they'd been draining each other for the last few days.

At best, his powers were working only at half-mast. And it wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't been. He still would have walked right into this.

For one simple reason.

He'd been so fixated on getting to Abigail and making sure she was safe, that he'd have been blind to everything else.

Oh, well ...

Die and learn.

Cupping her face and soaking in that gleam in her eyes, he leaned his forehead against hers and took a moment to inhale the sweet scent of her skin. Yeah, this gave him strength.

"Um, guys?" Sasha said from beside them. "I hate to toss ice water on your mood, but we have a situation here, and you might want to look up and prepare or sneeze or something. Just saying."

Jess didn't have to look up. He could feel every pair of eyes on him. The three of them were standing in the center of a large round room deep inside a cavern. Pristine white and trimmed in black, the walls around them reminded him of a palace. Kind of place he'd never thought to see in real life back in the day when he'd been human.

Things changed. Not always for the good and not always for the bad.

Sasha stood on his left and Abigail in front. Because of his injuries, Choo Co La Tah wasn't with them, and Ren seemed to have disappeared entirely.

Again.

There were six Daimons coming at them. Three to his right, four to his left. And a herd of them in the back tunnel.

Ah hell, he'd had worst odds.

And that was just yesterday.

Abigail took a second longer to stare into those dark eyes that haunted her. Rising on her tiptoes, she kissed the tip of his delectable nose. "Thank you for coming for me."

"My pleasure."

She hugged him close. "And in case we don't make it out alive ... I love you, Jess Brady. I just wanted you to know it."

Jess felt his heart swell over words he'd never thought to hear from another pair of lips that set his world on fire. "I love you, too."

She smiled.

Until Sasha barked. "They're attacking."

Jess savored the sensation of her skin against his for one second longer. "Aim for the heart."

Inclining her head to let him know she understood, she reached around his waist to pull the two weapons he had on the back part of his holster. He drew the ones in front.

They turned in synch and opened fire on their enemies. The first one he struck, flipped and landed at his feet. It didn't explode, so he took that to mean it wasn't dead or it was one of the new breed of killing machines.

Daimons were coming at them from every direction. It reminded him of the Alien video game. The more he shot, the more they grew. Only difference? Daimons didn't drop from the ceiling.

Yet.

Who knew what power they might develop at a later date. Every time he got it halfway figured out, they discovered something new-like eating a gallu to augment their powers. Who the hell thought of that?

Probably the same sick SOB who saw a chicken shoot an egg out its nether region and said, "Hey, y'all, I think I'm gonna fry that up and eat it. Wish me luck. If I get sick from it, someone fetch a doctor."

Abigail fired her last round and blew one of the Daimons into dust. She was having a serious crisis of conscience about killing people she'd have died to defend a week ago. But the fact that they were so determined to kill her if she didn't kill them made it a little easier to do.

She pivoted to her right and froze as she caught sight of Jess fighting. He fired a round from his shotgun, then used the stock to swat another. Turning in a graceful arc, he fired again at a new target, then ducked, slid along the ground on his knees to reach another bad guy that he slugged with the gunstock, then stabbed. He moved so fast that he was already two steps ahead of her before she'd done anything at all.

Incredible.

Another Daimon wielding an ax attacked. Completely calm ... freakishly calm, Jess leaned his head back from the swing, letting the ax fly clear of his throat. Still, it'd been so close that she didn't know how he could trust himself not to have misjudged the swing.

Thank God he didn't. Otherwise, she'd be picking his head up right now.

As their ammunition ran low and the Daimons kept coming, Jess put himself between Sasha, who was in wolf form, and her. She loved the fierce protector in him.

Still he fought like a ninja. She was extremely impressed. And if the truth were told, she was amazed she'd been able to hold her own against him when they'd fought. Until now, she hadn't realized just how accomplished he was.

That boy had mad skills.

In no time, their rounds were spent, and they were retreating to the back part of the cavern while beating Daimons down as hard as they could.

Jess was really starting to miss his ability to reload his weapons. And create them. Damn his drained powers. It would make things easier, especially since Coyote had nothing here that could be used as a weapon.

Bastard.

"Can you hear the human souls releasing when you kill them?" Abigail asked.

"No."

But by the look on her face, he could tell that she did. "Are you all right about it?"

She nodded. "No," she said, contradicting the nod. "I keep thinking about the fact that my mother's soul was taken and consumed by a Daimon. No one freed hers."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

Maybe, but he felt bad for her anyway.

Sasha's powers were as limited by the damper as his were. They were fighting with their hands behind their backs, and the Daimons were all at their full psychic capacity.

Abigail began to panic as more Daimons showed up. They were breeding like cockroaches. "We're going to die, aren't we?"

"Hope not. I still have another episode of No Ordinary Family downloaded on my computer that I haven't had a chance to watch yet. Be a damn shame to miss it. Might have to hurt them if that happens."

She shook her head at him. "You're so not right." But that was what she loved about him.

They were backing up through the cavern and quickly running out of places to go.

When they got to the last of it, they formed a small circle.

Sasha sighed. "So this is it, huh? Not how I thought I'd go out." He glanced around at the extremely green cavern walls. "Well, at least we'll be all minty fresh when we go."

"Psst!"

Sasha turned around in a circle, looking for the source of the sound.

Jess arched a brow at Abigail.

"I didn't do it."

They looked at Sasha. "What? Some freak noise gets made, and you blame the dog? That ain't right. Next thing you know, I'll get blamed for gas attacks, too. I didn't do it."

"Psst! Abby!"

Abigail froze as she recognized Hannah's voice. She turned around to find her sister in a small hole in the wall. Dressed all in black, she looked like Spy Doll Barbie. If the point was to make her fierce, it was failing miserably. Hannah was too tiny, too blond, and too sweet looking to make anyone afraid of her.

"What are you doing here, H?"

"Saving your asses. Come on."

Abigail followed her without reservation.

"Keep your voices real low," Hannah warned in a whisper. "Some of the Daimons have really good ears, and the walls are thin."

"Do you know where Ren is?" Jess asked.

She nodded. "They're planning to sacrifice him at midnight. Right now, Coyote is torturing him."

Abigail frowned. Hannah acted like she was at home here and knew the schedule for everything. Best of all, she knew about this hidden passage. "I don't understand. How did you guys get hooked up with Coyote?"

"Jonah."

That unexpected response startled her so badly that she actually stumbled. "What?"

"You remember how Jonah did all that research into trying to find a cure for us?"

Abigail nodded. Everyone who'd ever met Jonah knew this story. He'd found some obscure text that said one of the local Nevada tribes had hidden a serum in the mountains that could cure any illness and transform someone's DNA into perfect structure.

Jonah had taken that to mean that it would repair whatever physiological damage Apollo had done to them when he cursed them.

Both she and Hannah had thought it was a load, but Jonah had insisted, and for years, he'd take night trips out to the desert to look for it.

"Jonah didn't find the serum. He found Coyote, who told him that the legend was real and that if he'd help Coyote find the two jars that contained it, Coyote would share. They were still looking for it when..." She passed a harsh stare to Abigail. "Jonah died. Anyway, they've been working together for decades now. So when Coyote called Kurt and asked him to round up Daimons to kill a Dark-Hunter, we came."

Abigail's heart stopped beating. "We?"

"I took gallu blood with Kurt. I don't want to kill humans, Abby, but I don't want to die either. I figure no one will miss a demon."

Grateful for her compassion and humanity, Abigail hugged her. "I love you, little sister."

"I love you, too. It's why I couldn't let them kill you. Even if you are with the enemy." Hannah pulled a small box out of her jacket and pressed a button on it.

Jess breathed a sigh of relief. She'd turned off the damper.

Hannah hung her head down. "I feel like I've just betrayed one family member for another."

Abigail shook her head. "You haven't betrayed Kurt. He doesn't want me dead, does he?"

"I don't know. He's so angry and hard to read. Especially when it comes to Jonah. You know how close the two of them were. But I don't want to live like that. It takes too much energy to hate. I'd rather get on with my life than worry about someone else's."

Jess cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but we need to find Ren."

"He's probably in the lower chamber."

Abigail arched her brow at that. Hannah had responded without any thought whatsoever. "How much time have you spent here?"

"Too much. Coyote..." Hannah paused as if seeking the right adjective for him.

"What?" Abigail prompted.

She squirmed like she used to do as a kid whenever she'd done something she thought their parents might punish her for. "Promise you won't hate me if I tell you something."

Abigail went cold with dread. What was wrong now? "Tell me what?"

"Promise me first."

Oh, she could wring her little sister's neck whenever she played these stupid games. "All right. I promise."

Hannah licked her lips and glanced about nervously. "Coyote was the one who killed your parents."

That news slammed into her with the force of gale winds and left her reeling. "What?"

She nodded. "He wanted your mom, but she wouldn't have anything to do with him. He'd gone to see her in various disguises and tried to seduce her. No matter what he did, she wouldn't look at him. Apparently the last time, she said something she shouldn't have and he killed them for it."

Abigail was flabbergasted. And she would have denied it, but it all made sense now. It hadn't been Jess in her room. It'd been Coyote wearing his skin. "How do you know this?"

"Jonah. He got drunk one night back when we were dating and told me all about it. He was there with Coyote when he did it."

It was just as she'd seen in her house. That was why the voice had seemed so familiar to her.

"I should have told you when I found out, but Kurt and the others were in love with the idea of turning you into their own personal Terminator to slay the evil Dark-Hunters. It's all they talked about. They saw you as the perfect weapon against our enemies."

The sad thing was, she had been.

And Abigail didn't know what to say to that. Raw emotions warred inside her. Anger, hatred, betrayal. And even relief. At least she finally knew the truth about the night her parents died.

"Thank you, Hannah."

"You're not mad?"

"Not at you." Kurt and the others, she could kill over it.

Most of all, it was Coyote blood she wanted. That need was so strong that it bubbled up inside her like a volcano.

"Hey, Jess?"

Jess turned his attention to Sasha. "Yeah?"

He pointed to Abigail.

Jess looked over at her, then actually jumped when he saw what she looked like.

Holy shit. She barely looked human right now.

In fact, all three of them took a step back as they saw her eyes. They weren't just red. They had stripes of orange laced through them.

Her teeth grew longer, and there was an evil aura around her that said she was open for business.

Jess approached her slowly. Any sudden movement might make her gut him. "Baby?"

Abigail put her hand on his chest to stop him from coming any closer. "Not this time, Jess." Her voice sounded like it had reverb on it. "I want the blood of Coyote, and I won't be stopped."

Normally, he'd have stopped her anyway. But you know what?

Payback's a bitch, and this one was way overdue. If she wanted to rip Coyote's head off and play basketball with it, he'd bring the net.

"I've got your back, Abs."

Sasha screwed his face up. "You're going to make me get her back, too, aren't you?"

He gave the wolf a droll stare. "You wanna live?"

"Some days." Sasha let out a long, tired groan. "Fine. I'll follow even if it kills me, and it better not."

When Abigail started toward the lower chamber, Hannah fell in line to go with them.

As soon as Abigail noticed her slinking behind Sasha, she stopped her. "I want you to sit this one out."

Hannah scowled. "I don't understand."

"If anyone sees you aiding a Dark-Hunter..."

"I'm aiding my sister."

Abigail was touched by the offer. But she knew exactly what kind of repercussions Hannah would have. From everyone. "They won't see it that way, and you know it." They would make her life a living hell, and they might even drive her out of their community.

Hannah sighed. "Fine. Take care of you." It was a line from their favorite girl movie, Pretty Woman.

Abigail hugged her again. "Take care of you." Then she set her sister aside and accessed the part of her that was still foreign and terrifying.

The demon.

Jess exchanged a wary grimace with Sasha. The old school cowboy in him didn't like giving such a tiny woman the lead in anything so dangerous. His job was to protect the woman he loved. Not put her in the line of fire.

But he knew if he said that out loud, she'd have his boys for jewelry and make him pay for eternity for his chauvinistic ways. So he rode herd on his tongue, but stayed extra vigilant where she was concerned.

If anyone came for her, they'd answer to him.

And he'd gut them for it.

He didn't know how she did it, but she went straight to where Coyote held Ren like she'd lived here for years.

Jess winced as he saw the holding cell where Ren was strapped to a metal rod. Coyote had put him in with Tesla coils that were sending shock after shock to Renegade, who screamed when they hit him.

Yeah, that was the drawback to being immortal. If someone wanted to torture you, you couldn't die to escape it.

Jess opened his mouth to ask Abigail what her plan was, but he never got the chance. His hotheaded woman stormed into Coyote's workspace without preamble and seized the ancient being by the throat. When Coyote moved to fight, she backhanded him so hard, he dented the wall.

Remind me not to make her mad.

Jess rushed to turn the electricity off in Ren's cell and stop the pain of his being electrocuted.

Sasha fell back away from the switchboard and room. "Don't shock me, man." It had really nasty consequences for Were-Hunters.

"Check on Ren."

Sasha snorted. "In the electricity cube? What kind of psycho are you?"

"Sasha..."

He bared his teeth in a purely canine gesture of defiance. "Fine. I get shocked, you better start checking shoes before you put them on." He went to comply.

Jess rushed to watch Abigail mop the floor with Coyote.

"How could you kill my mother? You bastard!" She slammed his head down on the ground repeatedly.

Coyote twisted and sent her flying. "I only wanted her to love me."

"So you killed her when she didn't? That's not love. That's sick."

Coyote kicked her across the chamber. "Don't you dare lecture me. I thought her soul was yours. You. You're the one who betrayed me."

"I have no memory of you, and I'm grateful for that."

The fury in his eyes was scorching. "You can't kill me."

Abigail glanced over to where Sasha was helping Ren. "Torture works for me. Besides, I've already killed one Guardian. What's another?"

He shoved the lab table at her.

Abigail caught it and sent flying back at his head.

Jess widened his eyes at her strength, but wisely stayed out of it.

"You're an animal," she snarled. "You've done nothing but destroy everyone around you."

"Me?" Coyote asked indignantly. "I'm not the animal." He glared at Ren. "He is."

Abigail pulled a knife from her boot. "Yeah, well, from where I call home, we put down rabid animals."

Snake entered the room at the same time Coyote ran.

All Abigail could see was her mother's killer getting away. Without a second thought, she threw her knife at his fleeing back.

One second he was there.

The next, he'd changed places with Snake, just like he'd done with Ren. Her knife buried itself straight into Snake's heart.

No!

Snake blanched as he looked down and saw the knife sticking out of his chest. His breathing labored, he gave her such a sad, pathetic look that it wrung her heart.

"I'm so sorry."

He said something in a language she didn't know, then sank to the floor.

Abigail ran to him with Jess one step behind her. "Don't die, Snake. We can help you." She looked at Jess. "Can't we?"

But it was too late. His eyes turned cloudy and his last breath left him.

Abigail covered her eyes as the horror of it ripped through her. "I thought the Guardians were immortal. How could I have killed another?"

"They don't die of natural causes." Only unnatural ones.

She ground her teeth in frustration.

Sasha brought Ren over to them. Ren collapsed on the floor and leaned against the wall. "It wasn't your fault, Abigail. Trust me. He killed me the same way. Coyote's a trickster. It's what he does."

Jess growled as his own need for vengeance overwhelmed him. "We'll find him."

Ren shook his head "No. You won't. Not for a while. Not until the Reset of the Time Untime. He'll be in hiding now. Plotting for a way to get his Butterfly back."

"I won't let him."

"I know, but it won't stop him from trying." Ren sank his hand in his pocket and pulled out a necklace. He handed it Abigail.

Her heart pounded as she saw the necklace Jess had given her mother on the day she died. "Where did you get this?"

"I ripped it off Coyote's neck while we were fighting. I thought you'd want it back."

She nodded as she clutched it to her chest. "Thank you."

"I would say no problem, but it really was." Ren let out a long breath and closed his eyes.

Jess cursed.

Abigail was almost too afraid to ask. "What?"

"It's dawn," he said in synch with Ren.

Jess sighed. "We missed the deadline for the offering."

Abigail groaned as she heard those dreaded words. "What do we do now?"

To her chagrin, both Jess and Ren started laughing.

Jess pulled her against him. "We do what we've always done. We protect..."

"And we fight," Ren finished. "But only after I have a nap, preferably away from electricity and daylight."

Sasha helped him to his feet. "Come on, Dark-Hunter badass." He looked at Abigail. "I'll take this one if you take yours."

"It's a deal."

She watched as Sasha and Ren limped away from them. Then she turned back to Jess. "Is it over?"

"For now. You've stopped your first apocalypse. You should be proud."

"I'm too tired to be proud."

He laughed. "I know that feeling." He fished his phone out of his pocket and called his Squire.

Abigail stood in silence as she listened to Jess negotiate a ride home for them in something that wouldn't cause him to burst into flames. From what she overheard, Andy wasn't willing to haul them anywhere since he was still mourning the mangling of his Audi.

After a few minutes of asking politely, then threatening his Squire with bodily harm, Jess hung up the phone. "Andy will be here shortly."

Yeah, right ... She could see Andy taking his sweet time getting here and grumbling every inch of the way. They'd be lucky if he didn't let them starve to death before he made it out here.

Jess's gaze went past her to see something behind her that made his jaw go slack.

Her stomach shrank with dread. How bad is it this time? More to the point, how many whatevers were about to attack them?

Not quite ready for another round, she turned to find ...

Her own jaw hit the floor.

Was that Choo Co La Tah? Gone was the old man and in his place was the younger version of him that she'd seen in her visions of the past. Strange that she hadn't noticed before how handsome a man he'd been. He wore his long black hair loose around his shoulders and walked with the swagger of a predator.

This was a warrior in the prime of his youth and that fact was evident in every bulging muscle and most of all in a stance that said he could kill you in a heartbeat.

Jess put himself between them as if to protect her.

Choo Co La Tah smiled. "Stand down, Jess. I'm not here to harm either of you." He held his hands out to his sides to prove his intent. "I do have to say 'thank you' to our Butterfly though."

Abigail frowned. "How so?"

"It appears we didn't miss the deadline as we feared. When they attacked us earlier and you protected me, you shed some of your blood on the cavern floor. Because of that the seals are still intact."

She wasn't sure if she should be grateful or ticked off at him. One day, they'd have to do something about Choo Co La Tah's penchant for withholding important details. "That was the offering I had to make?"

He nodded. "It also restored my youth and health. For that, my dear, I offer a resounding debt of gratitude. I haven't felt this strong in centuries."

Jess stepped aside as she moved forward to eye the ancient Guardian with respect.

"I don't understand," Jess drawled. "Why did you and Old Bear age while neither Snake nor Coyote did?"

Choo Co La Tah lowered his arms. "It takes more energy to not give in to the Dark One they chose to serve. Fighting them and staying true to our duties takes its toll. It's another reason why our posts are finite. There's only so long you can hold them back before the body wears out and leaves you defenseless." He swept his gaze to where Snake lay dead on the ground. Pain flickered deep in his dark eyes. "You were ever a fool, my friend. Ever led astray and for that I am truly sorry. May your soul find the peace your body never could." He looked back at Abigail. "You may lay your fear aside, child. I can hear it even from here. The ancients never held you responsible for the death of Old Bear nor will they for Snake."

His words confused her. "I don't understand. You said-"

"I implied and you inferred. You were only a tool Coyote used for his own purposes. The ancients are able to look past the event to see the true causation and who set it in motion. All of which go back to Coyote and his actions and greed. Just as I was trying to use you and Sundown to lure him to the Valley so that we could trap him. I knew he would follow you. But unfortunately, he's escaped again."

"We can follow once the sun sets," Jess offered.

Choo Co La Tah sighed. "We won't find him. He's clever that way and he will go to ground to lick his wounds and plot his next move."

Abigail felt a tingle of hope inside her at his words as another idea occurred to her. "Isn't the balance restored now that Snake is dead?"

"In theory."

She didn't care for his tone that told her it would never be so easy. "Theory?"

Choo Co La Tah fell silent for a bit as if thinking on how best to answer. "The balance is a very delicate thing. While Coyote and I may contain each other, we are still missing two Guardians. The jars aren't open, but their seals are weakened by the death of their Guardians. The Wind Seer could free herself now and then go after the Grizzly Spirit on her own. If she were to unite with him, they will rain down an apocalyptic hell that would impress even Sasha."

Great. But she wasn't ready to give up. "What of Jess and Ren? They were the original Guardians, right? Can't they step in and replace Old Bear and Snake?"

He shook his head. "Until the Reset, no new Guardians are allowed to be appointed."

Jess scowled. "Ren told me earlier that Coyote's actions had caused that to speed up."

"They have indeed. And we will have to stand strong against him to keep the Dark One from reigning during the next cycle."

"I'm ready," Jess said with conviction.

Choo Co La Tah smiled. "While I appreciate that, the last chapter isn't yours to write."

"What do you mean?"

"This is now between Ren and his brother. Your job was to stop him before he claimed the Butterfly and tainted her bloodline. You've done that and you kept him from claiming Old Bear's magic."

Abigail was even more confused by his words. "Tainted me how?"

"The Butterfly people were the guardians of the soul. They were born of the Light while the Coyote and Crow are the Dark that would cover the soul and turn it evil. While they, like all of us, were drawn to the Butterfly because of her magic and beauty, she was never theirs to have. The Butterfly can be captured, but never claimed. Her love is a gift that only she can bestow on her chosen one." He gestured to the petroglyphs on the wall where a butterfly flew around a white buffalo. "The Buffalo were the strongest warriors ever known. Intuitive. Brazen. They were fearless. Their job was to protect all of the people, especially those charged with our souls. It's why the two of you were forever drawn together-you were destined to join the two bloodlines. But in the first lifetime, Butterfly was too weak to stand with the Buffalo. She had to learn to fight for herself. To stand up and let the world know she was unafraid." He turned to Jess. "Buffalo was arrogant and egocentric. He had to learn to put the Butterfly before himself and to realize that she was the most vital part of him." He paused. "You both have done that. You understand that while you're strong alone, you're so much stronger together. So long as you stand together, no one can tear you down."

Abigail swallowed. "We're still cursed."

"Yes and no. You two have confronted the Coyote over his evil and you no longer have human blood in you. Coyote's curse only applied so long as you were human."

She seriously regretted that decision. If only she could go back ... "What about the demon inside me?"

"You're controlling it and you have Jess to help."

He made it sound so much easier than it was. Even now she could feel it inside her, salivating. It wanted to feed and it was hard to deny that craving. "But when it wants to feed ... What do I do then?"

"You do what all of us should do when evil beckons. You beat it back into submission and rise above it. You are more than strong enough to succeed. I know it."

She wasn't sure she liked that answer.

Choo Co La Tah closed the distance between them and took her hands into his. "The Buffalo people had a saying. There is purpose in all things no matter how random they seem. Mother Fate is ever watching and ever working to aid us." He looked at Jess. "Your mother was the last of her people. She knew the Coyote wanted you and it's why she never told you who you really were. Who her people really were. She hid your true tribe from you and married your father, hoping his lineage would disguise you and give you a fighting chance to fulfill your destiny." He tightened his grip on their hands. "It did and because of your mother's sacrifice, you evolved into what you needed to be. It's why you came so close to marrying your true Butterfly then. Unfortunately, she hadn't metamorphosed enough. Matilda was still too weak to stand by your side." He reached for Abigail's. "Now you are ready."

He put their hands together between his. "In spite of all the enemies who would seek to destroy you, you two have found each other again. As the Tsalagi would say, the future path is the one you choose to follow. The journey what you make of it. You both have come so far in this lifetime and those before. I know that this time you will have the life you've dreamed of." He squeezed their hands, then released them. "Now I must go and rest. The fight between the Dark and Pale One is upon us. We will need all of our strength for the battle to come." With those words spoken, he vanished.

Abigail stood there for several heartbeats, absorbing everything that had happened. She didn't know what the future held and that terrified her. For a woman who'd had her entire life mapped out, it was scary to stand here with no clear cut path to follow. She'd chosen the wrong way so many times that she wasn't sure she trusted her instincts anymore.

But she trusted Jess.

She looked down at their combined hands. Who would have thought? While looking for her enemy, she'd found her best friend. "So where does this leave us?"

Jess froze at a word he hadn't thought about in a long time.

Us. Two united beings.

For the first time in over a century, he wasn't alone.

He stared at how delicate the bones in her fingers were. At how warm her touch made him. It was a sensation, he never wanted to lose again. "I hope it leaves us together."

"Is that what you want?"

"Absolutely." How could she ever doubt it? "Marry me, Abigail, and I swear this time, curse or no curse, I will make it to that damned altar. Even if I drag the devil with me to be there on time."

She offered him a smile. "I will definitely marry you, Sundown Brady. And this time, I will kill anyone who tries to stop you from making it to that altar."

He leaned in and gave her the sweetest kiss of her life. And when he pulled back, her lips were still burning.

"So tell me..." she whispered. "How do we get you free from Artemis's service?"